About accounting scholarships

Accounting is a major that falls under the broad category of business degrees. Accounting is more focused on the financial recording of a specific company. It's one of the most popular business majors and is a stable career option. We've gathered some great scholarships to help you achieve your goal of becoming an accountant. Scholarships are a great source of financial aid to help cover the high costs of college. We've also put together some information discussing the costs of a degree, and your future career options, as well as highlighting accounting scholarships for high school seniors and graduate students. We hope that this will help you on your journey to becoming an accountant and pursuing your dreams.

Average cost of an accounting degree 2023

The cost of tuition varies between states and institutions. Private institutions will have the highest tuition fees, while state colleges will be the more affordable option. More expensive doesn't always mean better – you can receive a quality education without attending the top-ranking schools. The average cost of tuition for an accounting degree ranges from $9,761 for in-state to $28,212 for out-of-state.

So now that we've established that it can be pretty expensive to get a degree, here are some ways you could lessen the financial burden. Student loans are one of the most popular ways for people to pay for college. And while they are a useful and attractive solution, they can be debilitating in the long term. Loans can come in the form of private student loans, i.e. from companies, banks, or other institutions, and feral loans, which are government-sponsored. It can take a long time to repay your student loans, so ensure you're well-educated before you sign up for any. We have plenty of guides and comparisons to help you on our Student Loans page.

An alternative to only using loans is to make use of federal student aid and scholarships. Scholarships especially are helpful because you don't need to repay them like you would a student loan. A strategy we recommend is to apply for multiple scholarships so that you can cover more of your costs – full-ride scholarships are very competitive and not as common as smaller scholarships. There are several accounting scholarships available that can help cover your tuition costs.

Types of accounting scholarships

Scholarships come in a number of forms, some are awarded based on academic achievement, while others are based on competitions. The very based on sponsors too – from community organizations to specific businesses, for example, a finance company may offer a scholarship to business students. There are also scholarships aimed at improving diversity or assisting minority communities. Need-based scholarships are another popular type of scholarship. They are designed to assist students from low-income homes to afford college. With such a variety of scholarships available to accounting students, there are sure to be many that suit you.

Careers to pursue with an accounting major

As mentioned earlier, accounting falls under business degrees, so there are several career paths that you can follow once you graduate. Here are a few examples of the more popular career choices for accountants.

• Public accounting: These accountants operate in an advisory capacity to clients – assisting them with auditing, taxation, and similar services.
• Corporate accounting: They are responsible for managing the financial transactions and reporting within companies.
• Government and nonprofit accounting: This is pretty self-explanatory, but they handle the finances for public sector organizations.
• Forensic accounting: Forensic accountants are more involved when something has gone wrong and will investigate financial irregularities and fraud.

Accounting scholarships for high school seniors 2023

Most of your senior year is spent preparing for your future – whether that be college or something different. If you're going to apply for scholarships you need to start thinking about early on. This will give you time to prepare for your applications. It also gives you an opportunity to improve and work towards maintaining strong grades, get involved in extracurricular activities, and prepare all the documents you will need for your applications. Being prepared is key to your success.

Here are a few accounting scholarships specifically aimed at high school seniors:
Illinois CPA Society Freshman Scholarships
NJCPA Scholarship Fund - High School Seniors
Michael T. Clemons Scholarship
George White Memorial Scholarship

Accounting scholarships for graduate students

You will need more than a bachelor's in accounting to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). To become a practicing accountant you will also need to earn your master's degree. It usually takes six years to do this – four years for your bachelor's and two for your master's. There are some five-year accounting programs that combine your bachelor's and master's. You will also need to earn your CPA license to be a certified CPA.

Having your master's degree is going to help you in your career. Many, if not most, companies prefer to employ accountants with master's degrees as they have more knowledge and experience. You will also be able to earn a much higher salary because of this.

Here are a few graduate scholarships for accounting students.
Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship
CME Group Foundation Scholars Program
CREW Network Scholarship
NYSSCPA Excellence in Accounting Scholarship
AICPA Scholarships
Byron Bird Graduate Scholarship
Stanley R. Arnold Scholarship
AICPA Fellowships for Minority Doctoral Students

Tips for applying for accounting scholarships

1. Tailor your application: Don't just submit the same answers and essays for all your applications. Customize the essays and recommendations for each scholarship.

2. Demonstrate your passion: These organizations get hundreds of applications every cycle, so make sure you're putting your best foot forward. Express genuine interest in accounting as a field of study and future career.

3. Proofread carefully: Submit error-free application materials to make a professional impression. Take the time to review your application, and have someone else read it too, before you submit.

4. Apply to numerous scholarships: Cast a wide net and apply for multiple scholarships to increase your chances of success. Winning several scholarships will help cover more of your costs as earning a full-ride scholarship is quite a challenge.